Nickers and Whinnies – a blog by Pippi
December 29, 2006
Guess what!! Story pooped in her water bucket! Nicker, nicker, nicker! Don't tell anyone.
December 28, 2006
Well, Smokey was the big winner in our horse pool. He won 50 horse treats for betting that Story's human stayed on while she posted without stirrups. I really thought she'd come off.
I've been pretty tired these past couple of days. Helping pull Santa's sleigh was hard work. It was way cool, though! I wish I had horns like the reindeer. I wonder if I could convince my human to buy me a pair?
December 25, 2006
A Christmas Story! They were eating grain - it's their only vice. Jingle, jingle, jingle. Pippi forced her eyes open and stammered, "Cupid, we're really far off the ground. I don't know about this. I don't think I can do this." Santa picked up the iPod, dropped down the chimney, then soon reappeared. "Well, Pippi, we're about ready to cross the Mississippi and deliver toys to the children in Iowa. I think Comet's leg should be feeling better, so let's get you back to your farm." Ebby started nickering. "Yeah, right, Pippi. Now you sound like me with the lies. I was awake earlier and you were in your stall. I saw a big lump lying in the sawdust." December 24, 2006 Dear Santa, Love, Your good horse, Pippi December 23, 2006 December 19, 2006 December 10, 2006 There's a rumor going around the farm that I have to address. Some horse (and I'm not going to name names, but you know who you are, Cloud) said that I look fat in my hunt seat saddle. Well, I want you to know that I am not fat. I might be just the slightest bit round near my middle, but my rear end is very muscular. It's got that nice Quarter Horse look to it that I got from my father. I'm not fat, I've just got a lot of muscle. I'm a lean, mean, loping machine! December 1, 2006 It's time to go out the pasture. C'mon, open the gate, open the gate. Finally, thank you! Going out, going out � what the???? Everything's white! Oh, wait, I remember, this is snow. SNOW, SNOW, SNOW!!! C'mon Story, Sundae, Murphy, let's run and and play in the white stuff. Put your nose down in it and snuffle! Oooh, snow went up my nose!!! <snort, snort.> All right, I'm better now. Snow! Snow! Okay, where's the grass? What? We have to dig for it? Ooohhh. Darn snow.
Twas the night before Christmas and all through the farm,
the horses were snoring, tucked away, safe from harm.
Creatures were stirring, though, especially the mice.
But back to the horses, can't you just hear them snoring?
It's the only time that they're ever boring.
Horses are sleeping in the dark and the cold.
Why don't you sit back and let the story unfold?
Zzzzzzzzz. Zzzzzzzzzzz. Snort. Zzzzzzzzzzz.
Pippi opened one eye, "Did I just hear something? Hey, Story, you awake?"
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
"No, Story's not awake. What was that noise? I know I heard something."
Jingle, jingle, jingle.
"What is that? "
All of a sudden there was a thud on the roof above Pippi's head. Pippi tried to wake up the other horses but they all stayed fast asleep. Only Mr. Purr was awake; he had been feasting on mouse tartare. "It's Santa, Pippi. He's here to deliver our presents."
"Santa??? Oh my gosh, Santa, Santa, here I am!!! It's Pippi, the good horse from Geneseo. Did you get my letter?"
With a flash of light and a swirl of cold air, Santa appeared next to Pippi in her stall. "HO, HO, HO, Ms. Pippi Longsox. Have you been a good horse this past year?"
"Oh, yes, Santa. I've been extra-special good. I do everything my human asks me to, and I'm always cheerful and helpful around the barn."
"Are you sure, Pippi? I got a letter from Ebby who had a slightly different take on things."
"Santa, you know you can't believe anything geldings say. Haven't you ever heard the phrase, 'Lie like a gelding'?"
"Pippi, I'm going to let that one go because I know your human loves you very much, so you can't be all bad. I did get your letter and I stopped by because I need your help tonight."
"Really, Santa, how can I help you?"
"I need you to help pull my sleigh. Comet has pulled a hamstring and needs to rest a bit. How 'bout we let Comet stretch out in your stall and you come pull my sleigh as I deliver toys to the good boys and girls in this area? Mr. Purr can massage Comet's leg while we're gone."
Pippi started trotting in place, she was so excited. "Santa, that would make me so very happy to help you. But, I can't fly. I'm a horse, not a reindeer."
"Pippi, do you believe in me?"
"Yes, Santa, with my whole heart I do."
"Then close your eyes and believe that you can fly."
As Pippi clenched her eyes shut and trembled with the effort of her believing, Santa gave Mr. Purr a scratch, then put a hand on Pippi. "Open your eyes, Pippi."
"Oh, my gosh, I'm on the barn roof. I'm....I'm.....I'm in a harness attached to Santa's sleigh."
A deep voice on Pippi's right said, "Hi, Pippi, I'm Cupid. Flying's a breeze, just watch me."
Santa leaped into his sleigh, picked up his reins and shouted, "Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now Prancer and Vixen! On Pippi! On Cupid! On Donder and Blitzen!" The reindeer and horse began moving as one and they loped across the barn roof and into the sky.
Harnessed in next to Pippi, Cupid chuckled and leaned his mouth over to her ear. "Pippi, you can open your eyes. We're in flight. Just keep loping and we'll be fine."
"Relax. You're doing great. Hey, Santa, where's our next stop?"
"Geneseo. Then we'll swing by Pippi's human's house. How you doing, Pippi?"
"I'm OK, Santa. I'm doing this. I'm flying. I'm really FLYING!!!!"
And with Pippi's newfound enthusiasm, the sleigh picked up speed and Santa got to all the houses in Geneseo and the surrounding area in record time. Next stop, Moline, so Pippi could see her human's house.
"Wow, there sure are a lot of houses. This must be a city. Santa, which house is my human's?"
"That gray one right there. Ok, we're coming in for a landing. Easy..easy...there we go."
"So what present is my human getting, Santa?"
"She's getting an Apple --"
"An apple, she asked for an apple for me??? Awww. Let me taste it, I'm hungry from all this loping." And with that, Pippi grabbed the present from Santa and tried to take a small bite.
"Yuck, uck, gross!" and Pippi dropped the present from her mouth.
"Pippi, if you wouldn't have interrupted me, I would have finished telling you that your human is getting an Apple iPod�, not an apple for you."
"Merry Christmas, my human," whispered Pippi as the group loped off the roof and into the starry night.
Soon they were landing on the barn's roof, and before she even got a chance to say more than good night to the reindeer, Pippi was back in her stall.
"Merry Christmas, Santa!!! Thank you, See you next year!"
Zzzzzzz - Hey, Pippi, what's all the noise? You woke me up."
"Oh, Story, you're not going to believe this, but I helped Santa fly his sleigh! Comet's leg was hurt, so Santa needed me to help."
"No, Ebby, that was Comet. He was resting while I flew the sleigh around this area. I even saw my human's house."
Nugget chimed in, "You were here the whole time, Pippi. You were just dreaming."
"No, it wasn't a dream. You believe me, don't you Story?"
"Go back to sleep, Pippi."
"Where's Mr. Purr? He saw Santa. He saw it all." But if Mr. Purr saw anything, he wasn't saying. "I know it wasn't a dream. I flew with Santa," muttered Pippi as she rested her tired legs.
The day after Christmas, Kay, the barn manager, was sweeping the aisle and Pippi was in her stall munching her hay as her human walked in to the barn.
"Hi, Kay, how was your Christmas?"
"Good, Jill. How was yours? What did you get for Christmas?"
"Well, I got this Apple iPod here, but look at it. It's got marks on it. It almost looks like a horse bit it. But how could that have happened? Hey, Pippi, what's wrong, you OK? Are you choking on your hay?"
Pippi stopped coughing, looked at the iPod in her human's hand, and believed.
"Is it just me, Kay, or does it look like Pippi's smiling?"
Merry Christmas!!!!!
How are you? I am fine. My name is Pippi Longsox and I'm a little Paint horse that lives north of Geneseo on a farm. I live in the North barn, third stall on the left as you walk in. (My name's on the stall.)
I've been a good horse all year long (don't listen to anything Ebby or Nugget may have told you). This year for Christmas I'd like apples every day, the good horse treats from PinkPonyBakery.com, a new saddle blanket, and Ebby to go away and leave me alone.
My human's been a pretty good lady this year, too, so please bring her lots of apples for me and the PinkPonyBakery treats for me. And she said she'd like George Clooney in her Christmas stocking, so if you could arrange that, too, that would be great.
But, Santa, my true Christmas wish this year is to be able fly like your reindeer. Please, please, please!!! That would be so cool if I could fly.
Thank you, Santa.
Story and I got to laughing after our humans' lesson this past week. Our humans rode Hunt Seat instead of Western and you would have thought they were beginners. Story's human did pretty good because she'd ridden this way several other times this month, but this was my human's first time. I guess she was out of town for awhile. I know I haven't gotten as many treats as I normally do. Note to human: my quota of apples is down this month.
So these old gals were posting away and Story and I were making eyes as each other in the arena. We were taking bets as to who would fall off first, but they surprised us by staying on. You know, if I had changed directions quickly, I'm pretty sure my human would have tumbled off. But she's not as nimble as she once was, so I tried to help her as much I could. If she fell off and broke something, she might not be around to give me treats. Those two weeks she was in Tampa for work did pass rather slowly since she wasn't around to fuss over me and brush and scratch me.
Anyway, Story heard that her human's going to try posting without the stirrups this coming week so odds around the stable are 2:1 that she falls off. We've got quite a pool going. I'll let you know who wins the big money next week.
Hi everyone, this is Sundae. Pippi�s out being ridden right now, so I stuck my head in her stall and found her laptop. While she�s gone, I want to take a moment and send a big shout out to my kid, Liz.
Hello, Elizabeth!!! I miss you!!!
Liz and her family moved a couple of months ago and I know they are going to come and get me sometime, but first they have to find a good home for me where they live now. She�s been back to visit me, but I do miss her. I still get ridden by the other kids out here, and I get plenty of food, but it�s just not the same as when Elizabeth was here all the time.
Liz was learning how to ride Hunt Seat and I enjoyed the break from being ridden Western. And there�s nothing better than our bareback rides, isn�t that right, Liz? You know, I even miss that older human, Catherine; I think she�s Liz�s mom. Catherine would ride me, too, and I was always very careful with her. It took Catherine a long time to trust me, so I don�t want to do anything to ruin that.
So I�ll just hang out here until it�s time for me to move. Kay�s taking good care of me and I really like that special senior feed she gives me. I�ll definitely miss my pasture buddy, Holly, when I go, but I know I�ll make new friends. And it will be soooo good to have my kid come out and ride me again. I�m ready for a nice, long bareback ride, Liz � how �bout you?
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